Getty A mock draft predicted the Pittsburgh Steelers will select Brian Thomas Jr. in Round 1 to replace Diontae Johnson
The Pittsburgh Steelers have made a habit of putting themselves in the headlines this offseason.
It started with them signing Russell Wilson to be their starting QB in 2024.
Most recently, they surprised football fans by trading Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In between those, they traded former Pro Bowl receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers.
That trade left them with some major needs at wide receiver.
They’ve started to address their wide receiver needs, signing Van Jefferson to a one-year contract.
However, they still need to find somebody that can step into the WR2 role alongside George Pickens.
There are limited free agent options out there who the Steelers could pursue for that spot, which could lead them to look for one in the draft.
A recent mock draft is expecting them to target one with the draft’s 20th pick.
In his March 16 mock draft, Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings predicted that the Steelers would select LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the upcoming draft.
A Receiver on the Rise
It took a little while for Thomas’ college career to really get going.
As a freshman, he made 28 catches for 359 yards. It was a solid contribution for a freshman, but wasn’t the kind of season that puts you on the draft radar.
His sophomore season was more of the same. He made 31 catches for 361 yards and 5 touchdowns in one more game than he had played the previous season.
Then he really turned it on in his junior season.
In his third year at LSU, Thomas brought his numbers way up to 68 catches for 1177 yards and 17 touchdowns.
That strong season put him in the mix to be selected in the early rounds of this year’s draft and his performance at the NFL Combine helped keep his draft stock moving in the right direction.
He ran the 40-yard dash in just 4.33 seconds, which was second best among receivers. His 10-yard split time was also third at the position.
Thomas having just one year of real production in college is a bit of a concern, but he could still be seen as a potential answer to the Steelers’ wide receiver issues.
The Steelers’ Wide Receiver Needs
Most of the Steelers’ returning production at the prediction comes from Pickens. He was the team’s leading receiver in 2023 and will be again in 2024.
Behind him, they don’t have much. They traded Johnson and released Allen Robinson. Those two receivers were the WR2 and WR3 for the team in 2023.
They still have Calvin Austin, but he had just 180 yards last season.
They’ve now added Jefferson, but he was actually less productive than Robinson last season.
Even with an offense that is going to be very focused on running the football, the Steelers are going to need another dependable option at receiver.
The Steelers have done a pretty good job of finding those in the draft.
Since 1998, the Steelers have drafted nine different receivers that have gone on to record a 1000-yard season in the NFL.
However, only two of those receivers were selected in the first round and they haven’t drafted any receiver in round one since Santonio Holmes in 2006.
That would mean going against a major trend if they did decide to draft Thomas.
There are still free agents out there they could pick up to fill the need, but if more options start coming off the board, the Steelers may decide it’s time to stop that trend.